The Last Airbender Book One: Unity
by PitFTW
Summary: Long ago, the nations lived in harmony, but everything changed when the Axis attacked. Only the Republic, master of all four elements can stop them, but when the world needed him the most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and that stupid frog and I found a new Republic, an airbender named Alfred. Though his strength is great, he is too bloody dense. We're all doomed.
1. The Idiot in the Iceberg

The Last Airbender Book One: Unity

**A/N: Hello, hello, hello! Hetalia fandom, I am PitFTW, a writer of two oneshots for this archive. I am pleased to announce my very first multi-chaptered Hetalia fanfiction!**

**This idea came up while watching the latest Legend of Korra episode! I hope that you enjoy my little Hetalian twist on one of my favorite TV shows. Please note that while some characters are parallels of the ones in Avatar, that does not mean that they will strictly follow the roles of the characters from Avatar. In addition, the events in this story will not strictly follow Avatar's. Avatar is a terrific show, but it is quite long. Some episodes will be combined into one chapter, while others may be cut out entirely. You'll see what I mean later on.**

**Summary: Long ago, the nations lived together in harmony, but everything changed when the Axis attacked. Only the Republic, master of all four elements can stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and that stupid frog and I discovered a new Republic, an Airbender named Alfred. Though his strength is great, he is too bloody dense. We're all doomed.**

**Warnings: Avatar canon deviation, Francis, yaoi, some graphic descriptions, cursing, and a very adorable Italy.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing owned! **

* * *

Chapter One: The Idiot in the Iceberg

_Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Flying Mint Bunny used to tell me stories about the old days; a time of peace when the Republic kept balance between the European Tribes, the Asian Kingdom, the Axis Nation, and the American Nomads. But that all changed when the Axis Nation attacked. Only the Republic mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the ruthless firebenders, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years have passed, and the Axis Nation is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, my brothers and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Asian Kingdom to help fight against the Axis Nation, leaving me and my friend, Francis, to look after our tribe. Some people believe that the Republic was never reborn into the American Nomads and that the cycle is broken, but I haven't lost hope. I still believe that somehow, the Republic will return to save the world. _

* * *

"Ohonhonhon, Angleterre!" the young man stood up, silky blonde tresses lightly soaked with exertion. Eyes the color of sapphires gleamed happily in the bright morning light. "Looky here, _mon ami_! I have caught a fish with my bare hands!"

His companion, a shorter ashy blonde with emerald green eyes, scowled. "I'll have you know, Francis, that that was entirely unnecessary! We have fishing equipment right here, and you could have honestly used a spear instead of wasting your time with your hands! What's more, we have plenty of food at home, so I don't understand at all what the tribe is talking about when they say that we are in such desperate need of food that we have to go to the deepest, darkest part of the wasteland and bloody fish _here_…"

"What is food to you is garbage to everyone else, Arthur," Francis said airily as he slowly waded over, still grasping the struggling salmon. "Big Brother worries about everyone else when they are forced to eat that slop you call cooking, after-"

Arthur waved his hand, bidding the water in the river to heed his command. Before Francis could take another step, a large wave rose up from behind him and came crushing down, soaking the Frenchman from head to toe. Caught off-guard, Francis lost his footing and fell backwards, landing butt-first into the water below.

"Crap, my fish!" he cursed, watching as the salmon quickly swam away from him. "That could have been a week's worth of non-English food!" tears swam in his eyes as he dramatically placed the back of his hand to his forehead. "Woe is me! My poor figure shall be ruined by your terrible food, Angleterre! Ruined! If I were a Bender, I would make you pay for ruining my food and hair!"

Benders were elemental manipulators, born with the ability to control one of four elements: earth, air, water, or fire. If trained properly in all sub-divisions of their bending style, Benders could be made into mighty warriors. Or, if trained in another direction, they could also become extremely helpful healers and construction workers, amongst other services. In general, Benders were well-respected amongst non-Benders, and despite the misgivings of many "Bender purists", Benders respected non-Benders as well.

Arthur was a waterbender, with the ability to call upon water and ice to heed his commands. Though he was not trained as a warrior, his fighting style was considered to be among the most fluid and graceful in the tribe. He was capable of adapting to just about any opponent and, when the time was right, using the opponent's own strength against him. Arthur fully intended to one day find a Waterbending Master to school him in the art of healing, but that day was a long ways away. He and his good-friend-sometimes-enemy, Francis, had a tribe they had to watch over.

Francis was not a Bender, but that did not make him any less of a warrior. Trained by his father in the art of both fine cooking and fine fighting, he was proficient with both the spear and sword. His favorite weapon, though, was a boomerang carved from rosewood, a gift from a travelling merchant named Jett. It was his dream to one day travel the world and impress all the women with his good looks and fighting prowess, but like Arthur's dream, that one had to wait.

At this moment, the most important thing was making sure that the West Europe Tribe stayed out of the war as much as possible.

"Stupid frog, that's what you get for insulting my cooking like that!" Arthur taunted. "My cooking is bloody brilliant and you know it!"

Francis stood up, shivering slightly from the cold. "Eating your scones is like eating rocks, _mon ami_. Very bad for Big Brother's teeth, Eyebrows!"

Anger rose up in the young waterbender. How _dared_ he insult the eyebrows! Sure, they were large, fuzzy, and often described to be looking like caterpillars had decided to take up residence on his face, but they were still his eyebrows! They were a sensitive topic and that stupid frog knew it! He raised his hand, fully intending to summon an entire wave to just _drown_ the idiot Frenchman and be done with it.

"I'LL SHOW YOU BROKEN TEETH, YOU BLOODY WANKER!"

A deep rumbling echoed all across the ice-covered plain as the earth trembled beneath his feet. Caught by surprise, Arthur lowered his arm and fell to the cold ground, all thoughts of revenge forgotten. A loud cracking sound from behind him told him that fissures were forming in the ice. Sooner or later, the ice would crack completely, and he and Francis would be stranded in freezing cold water. Knowing that he was not yet strong enough to stop the impending disaster, Arthur closed his eyes and began to pray.

Francis, meanwhile, stared at a spot in the ice formation just behind Arthur's shoulder, where large fissures were beginning to form. Normally, he would be panicking and running away, but at this moment, all he could focus on were the fissures and the intense light that radiated from each crack. It seemed to flow from each part of the ice to the next, gently illuminating it in a pure white sheen. If it weren't for the fact that both his and Arthur's lives were in danger, Francis would have commented about how beautiful the sight was.

Eventually, the rumbling ceased, and all that was left were the two young men, the many fissures in the ground, and the beautifully glowing ice formation before them. Arthur opened his eyes and stood up, turning around to gape at the sight. It took him a long while to notice that there was a strange-looking shape trapped within the ice, surrounded by a corona of the unearthly glow.

A human shape.

"There's someone trapped in there, Francis!" Arthur shouted, grabbing a fallen spear and running forward. Somewhere behind him, he heard Francis' vague shout of warning, but paid it no heed. The only thing that he cared about was getting this strange person out of the ice as soon as possible.

The spearhead slammed against the ice, chipping off tiny bits at a time. With each bit chipped off, the ice seemed to glow brighter. The spear wobbled precariously under the abuse, threatening to break at any moment. But despite this, Arthur pressed on, putting every bit of strength in his lean frame into his spear thrusts, knowing that if he did not free this person soon, they would surely die.

"Angleterre, stop!" Francis shouted, reaching out his hand to grab onto the spear. "A spear is no use, _mon ami_! The ice is too thick!"

"We have to help him, stupid frog!" Arthur snapped, trying to wrestle the spear away from the taller man. "We can't just let him die like this! It's bloody wrong!"

"Yes, but you must also be reasonable! We don't know how long he's been in there! For all we know, he's already de-"

_BOOM!_

* * *

He was on the deck of the ship when he saw it: a pillar of light, pure white and beautiful, piercing the cloudy gray skies. Many of the deckhands saw it as well and began whispering, taking of strange spirits and monsters. Most of the whisperings, the young man noticed, spoke of an omen, one that indicated that no matter how hard the blue-eyed, blonde-haired male searched, he would never find the Republic.

The firebender tore his eyes away from the sight of the pillar, glaring at the deckhands as they milled about and continued to stare at the spectacle before them. "What do you laze-abouts think you are doing? Go and do your jobs! We must make our way to that light immediately!"

"You seem to be quite excited, Ludwig-san," a voice remarked behind him. Ludwig turned around and regarded the slim, dark-haired male with dark eyes. He sat cross-legged before a low table, where a simple tea set had been laid out for him. A tiny smile lit up his pale face. "Perhaps you should consider calming down and drinking a soothing cup of tea?"

"Kiku, do you understand what this means?" Ludwig asked. His friend remained silent, choosing instead to incline his head.

"Ve~! I know!" an auburn-haired male suddenly appeared behind Ludwig, grabbing onto his arm. "It means that Ludwig's going to get me some pasta soon!"

"W-What the… Feliciano!" Ludwig sputtered, red dusting his cheeks. He began rapidly shaking his arm, trying to dislodge the cheerful Italian. "How did you get here!? I told you to stay behind with Gilbert, verdammit!"

"Ve, but Ludwig!" Feliciano whined. "You're so much more fun to hang around! Besides, Gilbert's so scary! Once, he got drunk and started playing with this cute little yellow bird thing! It was so cute, but then the bird pecked him or something so he opened his big fat mouth and _ate_ it! Without any pasta sauce! It was so horrible and I just couldn't take it anymore and I wanted to have fun with you and Kiku, and-"

Ludwig tuned him out, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand as Feliciano continued to cry about his experiences with his older brother. He had been searching for the Republic for two years, and while Feliciano was a nice person, he was just… so… _useless_. Aside from his pasta skill, the only battle-worthy thing the kid was useful for was making a ridiculous amount of white surrender flags. His presence here definitely meant another mouth to feed and another useless bum to have to take care of.

Kiku walked over with a steaming cup of tea. "Here, Ludwig-san. You look like you can use it." the Japanese man smiled. "Though I do not approve of you getting your hopes too high, it is nice to see you relax. Feliciano knows how to make you do that."

Feliciano stopped mid-ramble to nod. "Ve~! That's right! I can help you relax, Ludwig! When I'm around, you forget all about finding the Republic!"

Ludwig sighed and turned his head to the pillar of light. Two years. He had been searching for two years. Surely, by now, his prayers would be answered. He longed for home, for the warm embrace of the ever-burning flames of his nation. He wanted to be able to train on the grounds again, to eat the fine wurst and pasta, and, of course, to finally hear his father's praise.

He had to find the Republic; he had to at all costs.

* * *

Arthur swept his hand over the young man's forehead, warmth rising in his cheeks as he brushed away the other's golden locks. A bit of hair stood upright, dutifully defying gravity, giving the young man a cowlick of sorts. A closer look at the finely chiseled face told the young waterbender that he had not seen sunlight in a considerable amount of time, but the light dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks told him that he at least got a tiny helping of it while trapped in the ice.

Francis walked over to them, holding a small bowl filled with clear water. He remained silent, too stunned by the sudden appearance of the stranger to speak. He placed the bowl down near Arthur and dipped a cloth in, carefully wringing it out when it was soaked enough.

"His is still beating," Arthur said quietly as Francis placed the cloth on the stranger's forehead. The two had moved the strange boy to Arthur's lap, to elevate his head and to help with breathing. "But he is weak. He has obviously been in that ice for a long while."

Francis faced Arthur, his expression grave. "Do you have any idea of for how long he has been in there, _mon ami_?"

Arthur shook his head. "I have no idea. But perhaps, if he wakes up, we'll be able to ask him. But for now, do we have the resources to take him home with us?"

Before Francis could answer, the person on Arthur's lap began to stir. Both looked down immediately, watching as the boy gingerly lifted his rather large hands and began rubbing his eyes. When he was done rubbing out the sleep or whatever that was in his eyes, he lowered his hands and turned his gaze upwards, meeting the twin emeralds above him.

Arthur's breath hitched at the sight of the young man's eyes. They were the color of a cloudless sky, with an electric quality to them that sent a tingling current through Arthur's toes. Twin sparks danced in the center of each eye, giving the young man a youthful, vigorous air that many had been robbed of because of the hundred-year-long war. These eyes spoke a tale of innocence, of laughter that had never been crushed.

Never before had he seen such beautiful eyes.

"C-Can I ask ya something?" the stranger asked. His voice was high and musical, almost childish, enhanced with some kind of unidentifiable accent. Arthur dimly noted that he looked and sounded not much younger than Arthur and Francis.

"Of course," Arthur breathed, unable to stop his voice from shaking. Not far away, Francis let out a light snicker, obviously amused at the exchange. The waterbender made a mental note to hit his friend with a wave later.

"Come closer," the other requested, a coy smile playing at his features as Arthur leaned in.

"Closer," he said again.

Arthur obeyed, his heart hammering. The Brit vaguely wondered if he remembered to pick the bits of scone out of his teeth that morning. After all, it wouldn't do to look bad in front of a guest, right?"

"Closer," the stranger whispered, lowering his eyelids slightly.

Arthur gulped and leaned even closer, so close that his lips were nearly brushing the stranger's. He had never been this close to anyone before. Okay, well, there was that one girl a few years back, but he didn't feel nearly as… nervous about being so close to her as he did at this moment with this stranger. Maybe it was because the stranger was male? Or because Arthur was a bit older now? Or maybe it was the fact that the stupid frog was only a few feet away, clutching his stomach, doubled over in silent laughter?

The stranger tilted his head slightly so that his lips were positioned near Arthur's ear. The waterbender bristled nervously as he felt the young man's hot breath gently blowing across his neck. It smelled sweet, like freshly brewed tea.

"Your eyebrows are freaking huge."

… What!?

"You wanker!" Arthur shouted, wrenching himself away as Francis' laughter increased in the background. "How dare you! If it weren't for the fact that you're bloody injured, I would _drown_ you! Do you think people _like_ it when you bloody go around making fun of their eyebrows!? Do you!?"

Now the other was laughing as well, clutching his chest as he rolled around on the ice. His fleece-lined brown jacket, Arthur noted, was of a design that was extremely outdated. Come to think of it, the boy's entire _outfit_ was outdated as all Hell! Just how old was this kid?

"S-Sorry!" said kid joked as he wiped a tear from his eye. With his voice a considerable amount louder now, Arthur could easily discern that the accent was definitely American. But that _had_ to be impossible! "I couldn't help it! They're just… I mean… they're freaking… caterpillars, dude! You should totally shave them!" before Arthur could answer, the young man dug into his pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses. After placing them on and blinking a few times, he turned and grinned at Arthur. "Name's Alfred! I'm a hero, and totally at your service!"

Francis came over now, also wiping tears from his eyes. "I am most pleased to meet you, _mon ami_. My name is Francis. And he Arthur, mon _petit copain_. I hope his silly sputtering doesn't scare you away. He is quite sensitive about his eyebrows, you see."

Alfred nodded, grin widening at the Frenchman's introduction. "Cool! So, you guys got any food? I don't even remember the last time I had a decent burger…"

Arthur stepped forward, holding out one of his "famous" scones. He was especially proud of the batch he had with him; he took a big risk by baking them for only four hours, rather than eight. Now they were even more delicious than they were before, despite that frog's lies! He just hoped the rather rambunctious newcomer agreed.

The Britain's hopes were immediately dashed by a certain obnoxious frog-eater. Francis reached forward and snatched the precious pastry out of Arthur's hand before Alfred could take it, lobbing the thing towards the nearby river. Arthur watched in dismay as it sailed lower, knowing that his waterbending abilities wouldn't help the poor thing at all.

Suddenly, the light breeze that had been billowing around the group the entire time picked up. A strong gust of wind swept past the three blondes, ruffling their locks. Arthur cried out and hid behind Francis, the latter once again too stunned to really do anything other than stare. Though Arthur was used to strong breezes, this sudden gust was unlike anything he had felt before; it was both warm and cold all at once and smelled strongly of hamburgers, a delicacy served by a certain long-extinct nation that Arthur personally disliked.

He watched with widened eyes as the falling scone suddenly halted in midair, as if grabbed by an invisible hand. Then, without warning, the scone shot upwards and made its way back towards the group of three, dancing about in midair. It wasn't long before Arthur felt the slight chill of the strange wind once again and the scone was among them, floating high above their heads. Green eyes followed the food item downward all the way to its destination: Alfred's hand.

Francis and Arthur watched in stunned silence as Alfred bit into the scone. Arthur was so distracted by the spectacle he had just witnessed that he didn't notice when Alfred spat out the scone and threw it back in the river. In fact, the only thing going through the waterbender's mind at the moment was the image of the scone dancing with the strange breeze, twisting and turning in midair before landing ever so precariously in Alfred's hand.

He had a good idea of what Alfred was. But at the same time, he _knew_ that it was impossible. They died out long ago, brutally murdered by the Axis Nation blitzkrieg. There was just no way that any of them could have possibly survived!

"Man, that sucked," Alfred grumbled, sticking out his tongue. Arthur blinked and snapped out of his trance, bristling slightly at the young man's remark. "I really hope that isn't all you guys eat. Because otherwise, I think I'd rather go back home than eat that crap again!"

Arthur opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened again. Next to him, Francis stood in closed-mouth silence. Neither of them spoke a word as they continued to stare at this strange young man, who somehow managed to make a scone defy gravity. They were both denying what they knew to be true; those people were dead, after all.

Alfred frowned in confusion. "Something wrong, dudes?"

More silence stretched between them. Alfred shifted uncontrollably, sending his bespectacled gaze down at his shoes. Francis snapped out of his trance and elbowed Arthur, gesturing for the young waterbender to start explaining everything. As much as Arthur hated to admit it, Francis was right; they couldn't just continue standing and staring like this.

He found his voice. "You're… an airbender…?"

Alfred shrugged. "Yeah, I am. What's it to ya?"

Again, Arthur and Francis stared. Airbenders had been wiped out long ago, in a mass massacre that began early in the war. The airbenders, or American Nomads, were a peaceful group of people who loved their freedom and their wide-open skies. Light on their feet and graceful in their movements, they were said to be powerful warriors, but even better dancers. The Axis Nation had fiercely hunted them down, all in the name of finding and killing the-

"The Republic!" Arthur blurted out suddenly. Where he would have normally been ashamed for such an outburst, he continued to plow on. "The last Republic was of Axis descent, which means the next one would be of American origins. Did you know the Republic?"

Alfred froze, blue eyes widening at the mention of the revered title. Arthur wasn't too surprised at his reaction, as any form of mentioning of the title Republic had been long ago dismissed as bad luck. After all, the last Republic, Romulus of the Axis Nation, had simply vanished. There could never have been a more inconvenient time for the Republic to vanish! It was said that he disappeared just before the start of the war, right when the world needed him the most!

"I-I… knew people who knew the Republic," Alfred said hesitatingly, giving the pair a weak smile. "B-But I don't know him myself. Sorry!"

Arthur sighed. "That's quite alright. But anyways, it is getting late. We ought to head home…"

Francis frowned. "I hate to burst your bubble Angleterre, but where exactly is home?" he gestured all around him. "Your little _colère_ completely destroyed many of our landmarks. We cannot go home like this!"

"Well, _excuse me_, princess!" Arthur snapped. "I'm sorry that you can't keep your bloody mouth shut long enough for me to try to reign in my waterbending abilities! You _know_ they can be quite dangerous!"

"Angleterre, it is not _ma faute_ that you are such a terrible cook," Francis retorted. "I am sure that the American will be dead by the end of today if he tries another one of your disgusting scones!"

"Why you little twat! I ought to-"

"Say, if you guys need a ride…" Alfred said, stepping in between the two. "Mattie and I will be happy to give you one!"

The two stopped bickering long enough to send Alfred confused looks. For a few moments, the airbender returned them. Then, he snapped his fingers and threw back his head, letting out a loud and- it had to be admitted- stupidly obnoxious laugh.

"Oh man! I forgot all about introducing Mattie!" with that, the blue-eyed airbender turned to look over his shoulder. "Where are ya, bro?"

"I've been here the entire time," a quiet voice whispered from behind Arthur.

The waterbender leaped a foot in the air and whirled around, hand coming up to send a giant wave at the speaker. He found himself face to face with a pair of soft violet eyes, complemented with blonde hair with a single curl coming off of it. The young man, who bore a remarkable resemblance to Alfred, smiled nervously and clutched the stuffed bear he was holding tighter. Arthur lowered his arm as Francis' boomerang sailed over the newcomer's head, missing him completely.

"My apologies, lad," Arthur said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't see you when Alfred came out of the ice…" Francis' boomerang came sailing back, once again completely missing its target.

The blonde smiled and reached up, catching the boomerang and handing it back to the (once again) shocked Frenchman. "That's okay. A lot of people don't notice me. And it's always good to be on guard, eh?"

"MATTIE! DUDE!" Alfred shouted, running forward and gripping the young man in a hug. Arthur was given a rather impressive show of Alfred's strength, as the airbender managed to lift the newcomer up into the air without any problems. Something stirred in the waterbender; he wanted to be the one being lifted up like that. But he dismissed that feeling. After all, water didn't have any place in the air.

"Bros, this awesome guy is my brother, Matthew!" Alfred said cheerfully when he put the violet-eyed boy down. "He and I were seperated for a bit during our childhood, where Mattie went off with the Canadian faction to hone his powers while I stuck with the good ol' US of A tribe. We got reunited pretty recently, but I don't think that it's been that long, considering-"

"You are an airbender as well, _mon ami_?" Francis asked, eyes widening in surprise. "My, so many airbenders we're discovering today!"

The Canadian shook his head, a small smile forming on his features. "Oh no, I'm no airbender. That's Alfred. I'm a Shifter, actually."

That was news to Arthur. Shifters, while not nearly as commonplace as they used to be, were more common than benders. They had the ability to transform into a specific animal, whether to help them in battle or to simply help with basic work. Most of the Shifters Arthur knew were able to transform into otter penguins or tiger seals. Some of the more rambunctious could transform into polar bear dogs. Considering Matthew's heritage, there was little doubt that he was likely able to transform into a beast native to the American Nomad lands.

"Well, if you can shift into something that can get us out of here, that would be greatly appreciated," Arthur said.

Matthew smiled and looked at Alfred, who nodded. Closing his eyes, the Shifter began mumbling under his breath in a tongue that only fellow Shifters would understand. He clutched his bear even tighter and opened his eyes, the glow around him brightening into a full-on corona of light. Arthur shielded his eyes and looked away, vaguely aware of a bright flash of light. After the flash, there were a few moments of silence, followed by the heavy breathing of what sounded like a large, powerful animal. Deciding that the Canadian was likely done shifting, he un-shielded his eyes.

Before him stood a large, white animal, with six legs and a large snout. Tiny ears perked up from either side of the head, twitching as they gauged every sound that surrounded them. The small yet clear eyes remained the same violet color as Matthew's human form had been.

"_Mon dieu_!" Francis exclaimed excitedly as he ran forward to stare at Matthew. "A sky bear!"

Alfred laughed as he leaped up and lightly landed on Matthew's back. "Yep! Sacred to the American Tribe and all that. Mattie's awesome in this form, because no one can miss him since he's so big and sacred and all that!"

Matthew the Sky Bear made a noise that sounded a lot like a groan and rolled his great purple eyes. He made another noise that sounded like a growl, but it was a playful growl, one that was obviously meant to be a playful insult to Alfred. The airbender seemed to understand this growling and laughed again, gently patting Matthew on the back of the neck. In spite of himself, Arthur found himself enjoying the presence of the two, as years with only having Francis and a small tribe to talk to were beginning to wear down on him.

"You guys needed a ride, right?" Alfred asked after Francis and Arthur were finished staring at Matthew's immense size. "Hop on, already! Mattie's the fastest sky bear around!"

They didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

Ludwig stood at the helm of his ship, blue eyes watching as a thin trail of smoke stood out against the sky. The light pillar had faded long ago, but the ship had made enough progress so that they were close enough to see land. In the distance, he saw the pitched tents of the West Europe Tribe, plus what looked like badly made watchtowers.

It disgusted him, having to see this. The rest of the world lived in peace within grand cities, where progress and industry ruled all. What were these people doing, living like apes off the land? He had been raised in luxury and would not have traded it for the world.

"It is quite late, Ludwig-san," Kiku said, walking up to stand at the helm. "Perhaps you would like to go to sleep?"

Ludwig shook his head. "_Nein_. I cannot sleep as long as the Republic is so close. I can feel it, Kiku. Soon, my journey will end."

"Ve~, I don't know, Ludwig," Feliciano said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Didn't your grandpa and your great-grandpa and your great-great-grandpa and your great-great-grandpa's dog and your great-great-grandpa's cousin and that one guy that you might know but probably don't because you haven't met him yet already try and fail?"

Ludwig sighed, eyes downcast. "They… did not have their honor riding upon their capture of the Republic." he turned to face his two friends, his mouth set in a grave line. "Mine is."

Silence. Ludwig gripped the bow of his ship, not caring about the smoke trailing at the tips of his fingers. The firebender was only vaguely aware when Feliciano gently took his hand and pried each finger off one by one.

"You can't burn the ship before siesta time, Luddy," Feliciano said quietly.

Ludwig paused, then turned around to face Kiku, who wore an expression of calm. "Kiku… tomorrow, in preparation for my fight against the Republic, you are to teach me the advanced art of firebending."

Kiku frowned. "Ludwig-san, it is most unwise. You have yet to master the basics of firebending. You still fight with your muscles, but you must remember that firebending comes from the breath. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire. Until you master that, there is nothing I can teach you."

Ludwig bit his lip. "You don't understand, Kiku. The Republic is said to be the last airbender. He is surely over a hundred years old! That is a century, Kiku, to master the bending arts! I will need more than basic firebending to defeat him!" he looked upon his dear friend with pleading eyes. "I beg of you, Kiku, please, teach me. Teach me, if only to teach me how to live another day to fight the Republic."

Kiku closed his eyes, his face expressionless. "… Very well, Ludwig-san… but know this…" he opened his eyes, the orbs flashing dangerously. "You can very well be sent to your death. If you are about to die, regardless of the honor you will bring to yourself, you must run away and live to fight another day."

Ludwig ignored him and turned back to the prow of the ship, watching the thin trail of smoke. He became vaguely aware of Feliciano chatting aimlessly, trying to change the subject. Though it was late at night, Ludwig could not have been more awake.

Tomorrow was the day when he would return home at last.


	2. The Republic Returns

The Last Airbender Book One: Unity

Chapter Two: The Republic Returns

They had spent the night atop Matthew's back, which- despite Arthur's misgivings- was actually rather pleasant. Or rather, it _would_ have been rather pleasant, had it not been for the airbender's constant chattering. Alfred seemed to have a never-ending goblet of energy on him at all times, constantly shuffling back and forth across Matthew's back, pestering both Francis and Arthur. Though the Englishman didn't mind it at first, the American's constant laughter and loud voice began to grind on his nerves, _especially_ when both he and Francis began to get too tired to deal with the American's constant chatter any longer.

"I'm sorry, but some of us are trying to sleep here," Arthur snapped at last, glaring at the American, who stopped mid-burger-rant.

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "Sleep? How can you two be tired already? Mattie and I just totally woke up from the most awesome nap ever, eh Mattie?" the Shifter growled in response.

"_Mon ami_, you must forgive us," Francis said dramatically as he inclined himself against Matthew's neck. "For you see, there is a war going on, a you very well know-"

"War?" now Alfred looked genuinely confused. "What war?"

That silenced the Frenchman, who only managed to give Alfred an extremely bewildered look. Arthur, on the other hand, remained calm; he had practiced quite a few times from showing his expression on his face. It was rather funny though, as Matthew had grown awfully quiet as well.

"The… war… that's been going on for a hundred years," Francis said quietly, obviously still trying to wrap his head around the airbender's complete obliviousness.

Alfred shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about, buddy. Last I checked we were all at peace and stuff."

"You've… been in that iceberg an awfully long time, haven't you?" Arthur asked softly. In truth, he felt rather envious towards the American. What was it like to simply be asleep for all that time, unaware of all the stress and horrors that the war had wrought upon them?

Alfred paused, then leaned back. His blue eyes took on a faraway look. There was a quality to his face that Arthur couldn't quite identify. It seemed to be a mixture of confusion, self-pity, and- he was sure he was seeing things- anger?

The silence was broken by a rather miffed-sounding Francis. "Oi, _mon amis_! This topic, it is too depressing! Let us learn more about each other, _non_?" he turned to Alfred and gave him an encouraging smile. "Tell us about the world you come from, _Amérique_! Is the food esquisite? The women fine? Does the wine flow freely?"

Alfred smiled back, though Arthur couldn't help but note that this smile was considerably weaker than the one from before. "It's pretty damn awesome back at the temple. You can't really walk anywhere without seeing at least one person gliding by on an air current. And the food! Oh damn, the _food_! Every day, burgers just freaking rained down from the sky… burgers and shakes…"

He talked on, well into the night, sometimes slipping into a Southern American Nomad drawl to entertain the two blondes before him. As the night wore on, Arthur found himself less sleepy and more apt to listen to the young American talk. He had read many books on the culture of the American Nomads before, but to finally meet someone who had not only been alive at the time of its peak, but actually _lived_ within that culture and _knew_ its customs… it was a scholar's dream come true.

He learned many things about American Nomad culture that night. They had four temples in each corner of the globe, located far enough away from major cities and towns so as to keep away prying eyes. The Nomads normally ate off of limited agriculture, but whenever the fancy struck them, they would combine various food pieces from the four nations- vegetables from the Asian Kingdom, meat from the Axis Nation, bread from the European Tribes, and a special kind of cheese made from the occasional mountain goats– to form a strange delicacy called a "hamburger". This, combined with their homegrown "coffee", apparently made a meal fit for gods.

The Air Nomads were a group of free-spirited people, who loved the freedom their skies and winds gave them. They were, as Alfred described, a great melting pot of people with various skills and abilities, all of which greatly helped contribute to their advancement as a group of people. When they were riding the winds or meditating, the airbender claimed, they were playing pranks on each other using little tools they had invented, all for the sake of laughter.

Laughter. That was such a rare thing to come by nowadays. There were plenty of smiles, of course; after all, life was much too short to go about every day of life with a frown on one's face. But laughter? The waterbender had only heard of such a thing once, if ever.

But here it was, this strange thing called laughter. It echoed all around them, carried by the gentle breeze that constantly blew around Alfred's fingertips. It had not been there before; in fact, it seemed that only Alfred possessed such a thing as laughter at first. But laughter, it turned out, was highly contagious. It was not long before, after a few good jokes and shared stories, that Francis was throwing back his head, shoulders heaving. It was not long before a gentle, rumbling noise could be heard beneath them as Matthew joined in.

It was not long before the corners of Arthur's mouth twitched, then twerked, then gently moved up on their own.

Alfred was an airbender, born to two Shifters who loved and cared for him very much. He was the older of the two; Matthew came out just seven minutes after he did, but he was also the more immature one. His favorite food was the rare delicacy called the "hamburger", not drizzled in maple syrup like Matthew preferred, but paired with ice cream or a milkshake. When he was seven years old, he had managed to get himself into some kind of accident that involved Matthew, a paintbrush, a bucket of maple syrup, and the Montreal Air Temple nearly being set on fire.

"Some day, I'll have Mattie fly us all there!" the American said eagerly. "I can show you all where the skid marks are and where I accidentally blew over all of Master Wyom's paperwork!"

Francis laughed. "Ah, _mon cher_, that place sounds like a fine temple indeed. Why, I wonder if it have any fine wine stored in its vaults…"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "If you prefer drinking some dusty old grape juice, be my guess, Frog."

"At least _I_ am not nearly falling to the floor after one drink, _vous buveur léger_" Francis sniffed with a toss of his tresses.

Arthur stuck his tongue out at Francis while Alfred laughed. Though it was true that Arthur sometimes got a bit tipsy- okay, _more_ than a bit tipsy- after a few drinks, but that didn't mean that he was a lightweight! He simply did not tolerate ale as much, that's all!

"Are we nearly there?" the waterbender asked, hoping to draw the subject away from his drinking habits. Much to his relief, the others turned their thoughts away from drinking and instead focused on the horizon before them.

"I… think I see smoke," Alfred said, shielding his eyes with his hand. "But I can't tell. It might just be some random line in the sky."

Arthur looked in the direction he was pointing. Sure enough, there was indeed a trail of smoke leading up to the heavens. But as Matthew approached, Arthur felt a strange, sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was off, he could feel it. The trail of smoke he was seeing was too big, too black. It was not the welcoming undulation of smoke from the cooking fires; this smoke was black, like the color of the Axis Nation's uniforms.

They heard the crackling when they were only a few hundred meters away, faint but all the more threatening. Heat seared Arthur's throat as he realized where the crackling was coming from. An orange glow illuminated the sides of many of the tents, those that were not already blackened and destroyed.

Fire.

He saw it with his own eyes: fire, flames, blazes, everywhere the eye could see. He saw people screaming, running about, trying desperately to find loved ones and to save belongings. Children sobbed for their mothers. Husbands screamed for their wives. Brothers searched the wreckage of the flames and the blaze itself, desperately shouting for siblings in voices too hoarse to be heard over the roar of the inferno.

He saw the Axis dancing in the middle of these flames, their dark uniforms a disgusting stain of black on the white snow. He watched as they leaped and twisted their bodies about, commanding once-docile cooking fires to roar to life into a sight meant only for the deepest parts of Hell. The bodies of Arthur's fellow tribe members twisted horribly as flames met flesh, and women and children alike were cast to the ground as fire swallowed them whole.

What was he doing? Standing here, safe atop some Shifter, when he should be down there, helping people! Arthur stood on top of Matthew's back, a tempest of rage swirling within him as he watched his tribe being massacred before his very eyes. Somewhere behind him, he heard Francis' scream of rage, Matthew's growl of shock, and Alfred's silent horror as the other three surveyed the scene before them.

Three people stood in the middle of this inferno, choosing not to participate in this deathly dance. One of them, an auburn-haired male, clutched a stick and a cloth of pure white, trembling as he watched the horrors unfold. Another, an ebony-haired man with dark eyes, watched numbly as an entire tent went up in flames, destroying everything the family who owned it possessed.

Green eyes were drawn, however, to the tallest of the trio, clad in a green and black Axis Nation uniform with an iron cross at his throat. His slick blonde hair shone a sickly yellow in the light of the flames. Cold blue eyes, the color of ice, glared out into the inferno, as if daring for something to rush forward and attack him.

He was about to get his wish.

"ARTHUR!"

Alfred's cry fell on deaf ears as the waterbender leaped from his perch, his eyes never wavering from his blue-eyed target. Said target, after some length, turned towards him and regarded him, his face an emotionless mask. As Arthur rolled into a landing and prepared to smash the idiot with large blocks of ice, the latter had already sent a blast of fire his way. The other two ran off to the side, obviously choosing to allow their taller companion to battle this out alone.

Arthur leaped back, barely dodging the flame, then brought his hand up and concentrated. A large amount of water from a nearby pot came upwards, striking at the firebender with whip-like speed. His opponent remained calm during this ordeal, deftly dodging the attack before sending yet another blast of fire towards Arthur. The blonde had barely enough time to redirect his water so that the two attacks canceled out, leaving only a cloud of steam behind.

"A waterbender," the male said gruffly, fixing Arthur with a cold, yet calculating gaze. "Interesting, but certainly not what I am looking for. You choose to attack, rather than doing the usual waterbending style and defending to attack. It is quite obvious to me that you are much too… _jung_."

Arthur's blood boiled as he flexed his fingers, calling forth water from another nearby pot. "That bloody better not mean weak, wanker!" he pushed out his hand, commanding the water to attack the Axis- and obviously, German- male in a small wave.

His foe almost lazily sent a blast of fire at it, causing it to become steam. "It means 'young', in my language. But I suppose, in your case, it can also mean _schwach_."

"I'll show you schwach, wanker!" Arthur snapped, once again readying another wave of water. Though it was true that he was much more comfortable defending over attacking, he was simply too ticked off to do anything _other_ than attack at the moment.

Something flashed in his foe's icy blue eyes. The next thing Arthur knew, he had charged forward, his fists coated in red-hot flames. Arthur dropped his wave and instead put up an ice barrier to block the attack, his foe simply smashing through it as he continued on the offensive. Punches and kicks came at Arthur like lightning strikes, the waterbender only having enough time to put up small ice barriers in a poor attempt to delay the inevitable. Soon enough, he felt the cold, unwelcoming side of a mountain against his back and he realized that, like some inferior little rodent, he had been cornered.

The firebender strode forward, his features never betraying his emotions. There seemed to be something almost akin to pity in the other man's eyes as he regarded the trapped waterbender. Arthur had no doubt that this horrible, village-destroying person was contemplating the best way to kill him. Praying to the gods that his death would be swift, the Englishman closed his deep green eyes and waited for the enormous fireball that would come.

What he didn't expect, though, was to be question. "The Republic. I am fully aware that you hide that old man from me. If you bring him forward at this moment, I will spare your life."

"What the Hell are you talking about?" Arthur hissed, opening his eyes to glare at his enemy. "The oldest men in the village all went to the Asian Kingdom long ago. The oldest males you will find here are myself and my friend."

The other's eyes narrowed. His two companions walked up from behind him and stood at either side, both of them staring at Arthur with mixed expressions of doubt and pity. Arthur kept his gaze on the blonde, glaring like he thought looks could kill.

"It will bring you no benefit to lie to me," the firebender said quietly, his eyes growing colder with each passing second.

"Git," Arthur growled. "What the fuck do I have to gain from lying to you? I'm telling you right now, there is no Republic hiding in this tribe!"

He saw it immediately: the anger that flashed through the young man's eyes. He barely had time to register the fists being brought back and punching forward, the flames behind him obeying the movement as they shot forward. Arthur's world suddenly became a whorl of heat, his lips cracking and blistering as the inferno raced towards him. Vaguely, he saw the firebender's two companions cry out, the ebony-haired one making quick motions with his hands and partially quelling the onslaught.

He braced himself for the end, closing his bright green eyes. There was just no way he would be able to escape this hellish attack. Arthur saw Francis, grinning, flirting with the girls in their tribe. He saw his brothers, laughing, hugging him and telling him that they would be back to torment him before long. He saw his mother, smiling, whispering to him a sweet lullaby whose words he had long forgotten. Last of all, he saw eyes that held the promise of bluest skies…

Suddenly, the heat disappeared. The cold of the land once again settled on Arthur's skin. Shocked, the British man opened his eyes just in time to see the blurry remnants of a gale twist and fade. His vision was blurry; obviously, a testament to the intense heat that was still surrounding them and slowly creeping back to proper temperature. Still, he was still able to vaguely make out a few things, namely the fact that there was a tall, imposing figure standing and panting before him. Wheat gold hair flashed in the dim light of the flames.

"A-Alfred…" Arthur whispered, his throat lined with sand. The panting blonde briefly glanced back at him, before turning his attention back to the Axis trio before him. Ice met the sky as a pregnant silence fell, interrupted only by the sniffling of the auburn-haired flag-bearer.

Another figure appeared in front of Arthur, almost obscuring his vision. Matthew stood next to his brother, having transformed back into a human. From the way he held himself, he was obviously quite angry.

"L-Leave him… alone," Alfred gasped, pointing to the trio with what Arthur made out to be a bo staff. "You had… not right… to torch his village like this."

The tallest Axis betrayed no emotion as he coldly scanned Alfred from head to toe. "… So… _you_ are the airbender. _You_ are the Republic."

Arthur felt his throat hitch as Alfred stiffened. The ebony-haired Axis tilted his head to the side, gazing at Alfred with dark, intense eyes. The flag-bearer whimpered.

Alfred remained silent, opting instead to bend his knees, his staff held loosely in both hands. This was the typical airbender's fighting stance, which would allow them to punch and kick in rapid, circular sweeps. Matthew, on the other hand, crouched and let out a _very_ animalistic growl.

"I have spent years training for this day," the Axis said, anger dripping from his words. "I have trained… I have meditated… and yet… instead of an old man with centuries of technique behind him, I come face to face with a mere _boy_!"

Alfred quirked an eyebrow. "Well, you ain't so old yourself…"

That won him a vicious snarl from the other as the blonde launched a series of fireballs at the airbender for the insult. Alfred reacted swiftly, spinning his staff so that the fireballs were disappitated. Enraged, the Axis fired yet another blast, which Alfred proceeded to redirect with a twirl of his staff. A nearby tent burst into flames.

"Geez, someone's gotta take a chill pill," Alfred taunted, his blue eyes glittering with mirth. "Otherwise, all of that fire you have in ya might just make you explode!"

"_Halt den Mund_!" the Axis roared as he launched yet another blast of fire at the Republic. Alfred deflected it with ease, his obnoxious laughter ringing over the roar of the flames.

Arthur found himself entranced by the airbender's movements; never before had he seen such grace, even when he watched waterbending masters. The airbender seemed to dance from one movement to the next, his staff sweeping around in large, rapid circles. He saw a freedom in the movement that no other bending style could duplicate, a light, rapid rhythm that seemed to flow easily from one place to the next. It amazed him to see all of this being done with both feet planted on the ground; what would it be like in the air?

"What's wrong?" Alfred taunted. "Is your big bad fire too slow for the hero's wind? I always knew you guys were just a bunch of cowardly, scaredy-cats who can totally go and fuck your-"

"That is enough," a quiet, calm voice spoke up suddenly.

Arthur, Alfred, and Alfred whirled as one to the source: the slim, ebony-haired firebender that had only minutes before attempted to quell the flames headed towards Arthur. He was clad in a black yukata, with gold trim, which emphasized his pale skin and darkened eyes. From his appearance the slightest burr of an accent underneath his words, Arthur identified him to be of Japanese descent. That was not unusual, as the Japanese people had long ago insisted that they were not part of the Asian Kingdom. In his right hand, he held a short katana. In his other hand…

"Francis!" Arthur shouted, taking a step towards his captive friend. As he moved, however, the Japanese man took a step back, pressing the blade of his katana into Francis' neck. Arthur watched fearfully as a light trickle of blood dripped down the Frenchman's throat.

"Arthur! _Mon ami_!" Francis cried. "They got me as I was trying to sneak up on them! I'm so-"

"Be quiet," the katana-wielder said sharply. "Before I slice your tongue out." that stopped the frog's ramblings.

Arthur saw the look of horror on Alfred's face at the scene. "L-Let him go! Capturing the hero's back-up is _not_ cool!"

The Japanese man smiled. It was tight and didn't quite reach his eyes. "It would seem that we have reached an agreement, have we not?"

"What agreement?" Alfred demanded, glaring at the ebony-haired male. Arthur felt the wind pick up slightly, as if in-tune with the airbender's anger.

"You will come with us," the German said. Arthur noted that the anger was quite gone from his voice, replaced once again by the gruff, emotionless exterior. "If you do so, we will spare that… pervert's life."

"_Excusez-moi_? Just because I am French does _not_ mean that I am a-" he cut off as the blade at his throat dug in deeper.

"Do we have a deal, Republic?" the German asked. Once again, ice met the sky as the two blondes coldly regarded each other. Silence fell again.

"… If I leave with you… will you swear not to harm these people any further?" Alfred asked.

Arthur whirled on the Republic in alarm. "Alfred!? You can't, I-" Alfred's cold glare shut him up immediately.

"Ja, we will."

"Do you also swear that you will leave my brother out of this?"

"He is of no use to us. It is only you that we want."

Matthew opened his mouth to protest, but was soon silenced by a glare from his brother. Shaking with anger and frustration, the Shifter slowly shuffled over to stand next to Arthur, who put comforting arms around the young man's shoulders. Matthew put his pale hands over his face and let out a quiet sob.

Alfred threw his staff down at the German's combat boots and spat on the ground. "Fine. Now let the man go."

No sooner had the words left Alfred's mouth that the Japanese man removed his katana and threw Francis to the ground. Arthur and Matthew dashed over to the Frenchman, who was sputtering and spitting. Thin hands made their way over to the light cut on the Frenchman's neck, attempting to stop the bleeding.

Arthur watched in silent rage as the German stepped forward and kicked the staff aside, grabbing the American by the shoulder. The Japanese man sheathed his katana and stepped forward as well, grabbing Alfred's other shoulder. Slowly, in a march-like state, they led the American away from the still burning village, towards the silhouette of a ship docked not too far away.

Alfred walked with his head held high, the pride of an airbender never failing him. He glanced back only once as he was led away, and that was to send a silent goodbye to his brother and the two people who had saved him from the iceberg. Arthur, for the first time in years, felt the light prick of tears threatening to roll out of his emerald green eyes as he watched the man who, in only a few hours, he had come to see as a loyal and steadfast friend.

A light breeze blew around him; it smelled of coffee.

* * *

Alfred was led onto the ship's deck, where his hands were immediately bound behind his back. The German, whose name he learned was Ludwig, barked various orders at the men on the ship in his native tongue; obviously, they were preparing to leave. The Japanese man who had threatened Francis, Kiku, suddenly became much calmer and gentler. He attempted to make light conversation with the airbender which, much to his surprise, Alfred found to be welcoming. Feliciano, the Italian flag-bearer, hopped circles around Ludwig, begging for pasta.

All in all, this was definitely what he expected of an Axis Nation ship.

"Take the Republic to the prison hold," Kiku told a passerby firebender. "… But do make sure that he is comfortable."

The firebender bowed and took Alfred by the shoulder, leading him down some stairs into a deeper portion of the ship. They were soon joined by another firebender, who roughly grabbed Alfred's shoulder and led him towards a cell with a tall iron door. Alfred noticed with some amusement that someone taped a picture of a plate of pasta to the door.

"So… have you guys ever fought an airbender before?" Alfred asked, allowing a smile to crease his features. "Like… one as strong as I am? Because I can totally kick your guys' ass without having to use airbending."

"Silence," the first guard said roughly as the other one began to unlock the door.

Alfred knew he only had seconds. Using a small portion of his prodigious strength, he ripped the ropes in two and immediately elbowed the guard holding his shoulder. Before the firebender could react, he had already followed up with a powerful punch to the jaw, knocking the man out for what he hoped to be a good few hours.

The one unlocking the door whirled around and attempted to blast a fireball, but Alfred was much too quick. Using only a single kick, he slammed the man into the heavy door behind him, where his opponent crumpled to the floor, useless as a ragdoll. Laughing, Alfred turned around and dashed up the stairs, casually kicking down the door to the deck as he went.

"THE REPUBLIC HAS ESCAPED!"

Well, thanks for stating the obvious, random person, Alfred thought as he nimbly dodged under an incoming fireball. The numerous firebenders on deck rushed towards him, but Alfred easily evaded them with a few leaps, flips, and turns. Wind danced around his feet, helping him lightly leap from one area to the next.

He looked around and saw that they were already at see. The burning village was little more than a speck of orange in the distance now. Alfred felt his heart clench up at the thought of how many villagers were going to suffer because of this needless attack. His thoughts soon turned towards Francis and Arthur, wondering how they were doing, having to take care of Matthew and all. He could still feel the tears in those beautiful, green eyes…

"It would seem that I have underestimated you," a gruff voice growled from behind him. Alfred whirled around, the wind already at his beck and call. Standing before him was Ludwig, who stood with his arms crossed, his expression a mixture of anger and shock.

"A lotta people do," Alfred said coldly. Unlike the rest of the crew on this ship, he felt little, if any pity towards the German. After all, heroes weren't supposed to pity villains as evil as this man. He burnt down an entire _village_, for crying out loud!

Ludwig growled and leap towards him, spinning as he coated his punches and kicks with red-hot flames. Alfred nimbly flipped backwards just in time to avoid the attacks, spinning to send a blast of air at the firebender. Ludwig immediately countered with an arc of flame, effectively nullifying the attack.

Ludwig's arm shot forward, sending a powerful blast of fire the Republic's way. Alfred formed a ball of air with his hands and leaped atop it, riding the wind to safety. Once the fireball was out of the way, Alfred took the ball he rode on and kicked it towards Ludwig, the firebending only having seconds to leap to the side as the ball exploded into a mess of wind at the helm of the ship.

Ludwig charged and unleashed a flurry of kicks and punches, all coated in fire. Alfred kept himself light on his feet as he dodged, using wind to disappitate any flames that got too close. They kept at this dance for a while, until one of Ludwig's attacks got lucky and struck the airbender in the jaw. Alfred staggered backwards, clutching the injury, feeling blood well up from where his bottom lip was cut. Ludwig strode forward, his fists coated in flame, ready to deliver a final blow.

"OI! Git!" a familiar, accented voice rang out from above. Both benders froze in their fight to look up, meeting the large white form of a sky bear. Atop this bear sat two blonde riders, one waving around a rosewood boomerang whereas the other held a staff.

"My staff!" Alfred shouted, using the wind at his feet to help propel himself high into the air. Without needing to be told to, Arthur threw his arm back and launched the staff, the powerful weapon whizzing through the air just as fast as Alfred could leap. The American clutched his favorite weapon on the way down, using the wind to cushion his landing.

And thus, the fight began again. Ludwig once again went on the offensive, alternating between his powerful flaming punches and simply blasting fireballs. Alfred, on the other hand, used his staff to deflect the fireballs and send sharp blasts of wind Ludwig's way, all while dodging these powerful attacks. A large thump on the deck of the ship told him that Matthew, Francis, and Arthur had joined the fray, trying their best to keep any other firebenders from interfering with Alfred's and Ludwig's fight.

Alfred was swift and a good fighter, but he had spent much too long in the iceberg. Already, he could sense his stamina beginning to wear down, his movements becoming more desperate as Ludwig continued to hammer away at his resolve. Ludwig, on the other hand, had obviously been training to fight his whole life, without a single hundred-year-break in an iceberg.

Eventually, his stamina gave way, and Ludwig's punch once again reached his jaw. Alfred's vision blurred as he felt himself take a step back, his balance suddenly out of whack. Before he knew it, he found himself tumbling backwards, icy water splashing across his skin as Arthur's shout rang through the air.

Was he dying? Yes, considering the fact that he could feel himself sinking into the water, he probably was. It was a terrible feeling, being so trapped in the water. He wanted to be free, to fly out of this place, to spread his wings and take off. He tried to summon the power of his airbending, but his limbs were too heavy to move. He saw the light glimmer of the sun against the surface of the water and realized just how far he was sinking.

He saw green eyes, the color of emeralds, set against a blue sky. He saw pink lips move and form his name alongside other insults, namely "idiot" and "git". He saw these pink lips form into a scream of horror, those green eyes widening in shock as he fell, a smooth voice begging him to wake up…

Then he felt it; power, raw and pure, surged through his veins. He felt his rage bubbling upwards, threatening to make his chest burst. His world became white as he surged upwards, his body dancing like the gentle waves atop the water, channeling his inner power and rage at the people who tried to hurt him, to hurt Francis and Mattie, to hurt Arthur.

He saw a waterspout forming around him, his body spinning around to create a powerful whirlpool before shooting upwards. The spout became a tornado, which immediately pounded on the side of the ship. He saw the pathetic Axis watching in shock as their ship was lifted upward and spun around, water soaking the deck and everything below it. He saw the blonde German, the brunette Italian, and the ebony-haired Japanese leaping off the side of the ship as it was thrown against the icy cliff, shattering the ice that clung to the rock and denting the ship beyond repair.

He saw two blondes atop a sky bear leap off the dying ship, the sky bear crying out as it narrowly avoided being caught in the watery tornado. He saw the water spout slowly disappearing at his feet as the power and anger that surged in his veins slowly ceased. Alfred felt himself slowly falling, too weak to summon a wind to carry him away. He felt himself landing on something soft and somewhat fuzzy, smelling strongly of salt water and, bizarrely, maple syrup.

The last thing he saw before slipping into the welcoming arms of unconsciousness were deep green eyes.

* * *

"Why did you not tell us that you were the Republic?" Arthur asked for the umpteenth time that night. Like all the times before, Alfred only gave him a sad look and turned away, clutching the blanket tighter around his form.

The four had returned to the burnt village to salvage anything they could, though the flames had eaten up nearly everything. Many of the villagers were dead; those that did survive had taken up shelter with another tribe. Luckily, one of the tents had somehow remained unharmed by the flames, and inside of it, they had found a decent amount of food, some good weapons, clothes, blankets, and other important travelling supplies. Francis, much to Arthur's chagrin, had found a block of wood, which he was currently attempting to whittle into a rose.

"Come now, lad, you can't just avoid that question," Arthur said, placing a hand on Alfred's shoulder. The boy stiffened at the touch, but made no movement to throw him off, which gave Arthur some encouragement. He gently rubbed the shoulder, then used his other hand to rub the other shoulder, trying to bring warmth to the American's body.

"_Mon ami_,if he does not wish to answer, do not pressure him," Francis said lightly, carefully shaping the rose petals he had just formed. "He does not wish to speak of it, so we will not bother him."

Arthur bristled. "If he is to be our traveling companion, I daresay, we should at least know a little bit about him."

"_Oui_, but he just came back from a harsh fight. Besides, I think it is more beneficial that you two begin consummating your first date-"

"G-Git! Where the bloody Hell did you get that idea!?"

"Well, I saw that you were giving _l'Amérique _a very nice little massage…"

"You bloody frog! Don't make me throw you off of this sky bear!"

"It's because I didn't want to be Republic…"

The two froze in the middle of their argument, turning to face Alfred's still form. Arthur found himself pulling the American into a hug as a sob wracked the young man's body. Below him, Matthew rumbled out a small growl of pity.

"I never asked for it," Alfred continued. "All I did was… pick out those damn toys…" he shook his head. "After they saw who I was, it was all work, no play. They pushed me and pushed me… so that I could master airbending. And then they started going on and on about how they were going to send me to the Eastern European Tribe to learn waterbending… and how that was going to probably take years and years…"

his fist shook. "I… I never asked to be the Republic, damn it! I just wanted to be Alfred! Suddenly, everyone was falling at my feet or yelling at me about how I was doing this and that wrong with my airbending technique! I couldn't take it anymore, so I…" he trailed off, not wishing to say the dreaded words.

Arthur sighed. "Alfred… I understand that being Republic has placed a great burden on your shoulders, but… please, the world has been waiting for the next Republic. We have been waiting for a hundred years. You are the only one that can stop the Axis Nation before it completely takes over…" he unwrapped his arms from Alfred's shoulders and instead turned the younger man to face him. "Do you understand that, lad?"

Alfred didn't look him in the eye, but nodded. Well, at least it was a start. Arthur let a small smile crease his features a he gently shook Alfred's shoulder.

"Alright, so… I suppose we ought to make our way to the Eastern Europe Tribe, hm?"

Alfred shook his head. "Naw, not yet. There's some places I gotta go to first, before we go there." he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small scroll, unfurling it to reveal a map. He pointed to three places on the map: two in the Asian Kingdom, one in the American Nomad territory. "Here's where we can surf on koi fish… there's a great place to ride hopping llamas over here… and of course, hog monkey riding! Woo!"

Arthur and Francis looked amusedly at Alfred as he eagerly began describing the best way to ride a hopping llama. As the American chattered on, the two exchanged glances, both of them silently agreeing that the American was definitely going to be a friend for life. The silence that followed this agreement was broken by Francis.

"… So… are you sure that you two are not dating?"

"Shut it, git."


End file.
